Racial and Ethnic Variation in Complementary and Integrative Health Therapy Use Among US Veterans.

Importance: White individuals are the greatest users of complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies in the general population, but this might partially be due to differences in age, health condition, and location. Identifying the nuances in racial and ethnic differences in care is one important step to addressing them.

Objective: To evaluate racial and ethnic differences in Veterans Affairs (VA)-covered CIH therapy use in a more nuanced manner by examining the association of 5 demographic characteristics, health conditions, and medical facility locations with those differences.

Delay and nonreceipt of needed healthcare in U.S. adults with household family members with serious health needs.

Introduction: Households may be primary settings for developing noncommunicable and infectious diseases due to shared lifestyle factors and ease of transmission, rendering multiple family members within a household in simultaneous need of health services. Limited resources may force families to prioritize healthcare for individuals with serious health needs over other family members; however, few studies have examined unmet healthcare needs within family contexts. This study examines the odds of U.

Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. Childhood maltreatment is related to both depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our objective was to investigate these associations among low-income, mostly Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), as these may be a particularly vulnerable population group.

Perceived social support moderates the association between household dysfunction adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and self-reported drug use among men who have sex with men in Los Angeles, California.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be associated with drug use in adulthood. The single ACE of household substance use history (part of the household dysfunction category) has frequently been associated with drug use. Resilience factors such as perceived social support appear to buffer the association between ACEs and drug use and may be particularly relevant for urban men who have sex with men (MSM).

Menopause hormone therapy and complementary alternative medicine, quality of life, and racial/ethnic differences: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

Objective: We hypothesized that, among midlife women with vasomotor and/or genitourinary symptoms of menopause, (1) hormone therapy (HT) compared with complementary alternative medicine (CAM) will be associated with higher quality of life (QoL), and (2) race/ethnicity would modify associations of HT and CAM with QoL.

Methods: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of QoL in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation participants using HT, CAM, or both. Women ( n = 2,514) completed a CAM use questionnaire and QoL assessments at baseline and every 1 to 2 years from 2002 to 2013.

COVID-19 Infection in the Veterans Health Administration: Gender-specific Racial and Ethnic Differences.

Purpose: Racial/ethnic minoritized groups, women, and economically disadvantaged groups are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated racial/ethnic differences by gender in correlates of COVID-19 infection among veterans seeking health care services at the Veterans Health Administration. Little is known about gender-specific factors associated with infection among veterans.

The Role of Community-Level Factors on Disparities in COVID-19 Infection Among American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans.

Objectives: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study examines whether neighborhood characteristics mediate AI/AN versus White-non-Hispanic Veteran COVID-19 infection disparities, and whether mediation differs based on proximity to reservations.

Methods: Using Veteran Health Administration's (VHA) national database of VHA users evaluated for COVID-19 infection (3/1/2020-8/25/2020), we examined whether census tract neighborhood characteristics (percent households overcrowded, without complete plumbing, without kitchen plumbing, and neighborhood socioeconomic status [n-SES]) mediated racial disparities in COVID-19 infection, using inverse odds-weighted logistic models controlling for individual-level characteristics.

Unmet healthcare needs among midlife adults with mental distress and multiple chronic conditions.

Background: Limited attention has focused on midlife health. Yet, this is a time of great change, including onset of chronic conditions and changes in mental health.

Objective: To examine unmet healthcare needs among midlife adults (50-64 years) in the US with severe psychological distress (SPD) and/or multiple chronic conditions (MCC).

Longitudinal Assessment of Physical Activity and Cognitive Outcomes Among Women at Midlife.

Importance: The increasing prevalence of cognitive decline, impairment, and dementia spurs intense interest in cognitive preservation strategies.

Objective: To explore the longitudinal association between physical activity (PA) and cognitive performance among women at midlife.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study is an analysis from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Sexual orientation, social support, and mental health resilience in a U.S. national sample of adults.

Sexual minority mental health disparities can be attributed, in large part, to chronic exposure to stress. There is growing interest in understanding the factors associated with psychological resilience, or the ability to positively cope with life's stressors. Using nationally representative data (2012-2013; N = 14,470), this study compared differences in resilience status (operationalized empirically using SF-12 mental health score among respondents reporting 2+ past-year stressful life events; respondents were categorized as "flourishing," "average," or "languishing") by sexual orientation and assessed whether social support mediated sexual minority disparities in resilience.

Childhood adversity and mental health comorbidity in men and women with opioid use disorders.

Introduction: To examine gender differences in associations between mental health comorbidity and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) among adults with DSM-5 lifetime opioid use disorders (OUD).

Methods: In 2018, we analyzed 2012-13 nationally-representative data from 388 women and 390 men with OUD (heroin, prescription opioid misuse). Using weighted multinomial logistic regression, we examined factors associated with mental health comorbidity, tested a gender-by-childhood-adversity interaction term, and calculated predicted probabilities, controlling for covariates.

Sexual Orientation Disparities in Substance Use: Investigating Social Stress Mechanisms in a National Sample.

Introduction: Sexual minorities are disproportionately more likely than heterosexuals to suffer from substance use disorders, but relatively little is known about differences in substance use disorders across diverse sexual minority subgroups. There is also limited understanding of how different social stressors account for sexual orientation disparities in substance use disorders.

Methods: Using nationally representative data collected in 2012-2013 (n=34,597), differences in past-year DSM-5 alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use disorders were assessed across 4 sexual orientation groups (heterosexuals and 3 sexual minority subgroups, lesbian/gay-, bisexual-, and heterosexual-identified sexual minorities).

Factors Associated with the Use of Meditation, U.S. Adults 2017.

Relatively little is known about who uses various types of meditation or how health problems and health care barriers might simultaneously impact its use. This article describes the current prevalence of meditation and identifies significant individual and health system-related factors associated with its use. Cross-sectional descriptive analysis of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey analyzed in 2019.

Health Care Disparities Among U.S. Women of Reproductive Age by Level of Psychological Distress.

Reproductive-age women have a high rate of contact with the health care system for reproductive health care. Yet, beyond pregnancy, little is known about psychological distress and unmet health care needs among these women. We examined reasons for delayed medical care and types of foregone care by level of psychological distress.

Weight perception and perceived attractiveness associated with self-rated health in young adults.

Self-rated health (SRH) is a widely used and valid marker of overall health and wellbeing and demographic differences in SRH are well-established. To date, few studies have examined how multiple components of body image shape young adults' SRH. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of weight perception and perceived attractiveness on SRH among young adults.

Psychological Distress and Access to Care Among Midlife Women.

The objective of this study is to examine unmet health care needs among midlife women (ages 50-64 years) in the United States by level of psychological distress. Using data for a nationally representative sample of midlife women ( = 8,838) from the 2015-2016 National Health Interview Survey, we estimated odds ratios of reasons for delayed care and types of care foregone by level of psychological distress-none, moderate (moderate psychological distress [MPD], and severe (severe psychological distress [SPD]). More than one in five midlife women had MPD (15.

Are sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial characteristics associated with sexual orientation group differences in mental health disparities? Results from a national population-based study.

Purpose: Sexual minority mental health disparities are well documented. However, distinct sexual minority subgroups are often collapsed into a single "lesbian, gay, or bisexual" (LGB) analytic group. While limited research has shown sexual minority subgroup differences in mental health, little is known about the factors underlying these differences.

A dual continuum model of the reasons for use of complementary health approaches among overweight and obese adults: findings from the 2012 NHIS.

Background: Obese and overweight individuals have greater illness and disease burden, but previous findings from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) suggest that they are no more likely to use complementary health approaches (CHA) than those of normal weight. The current study investigates the relationship between weight status and CHA use, and among CHA users, examines differences in reasons for use by weight status. We propose and test a Dual Continuum Model of Motivations for Use of CHA to examine differences in reasons for use by weight status.

Gender Differences in Prevalence, Patterns, Purposes, and Perceived Benefits of Meditation Practices in the United States.

Introduction: Meditation is a common type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and the evidence for its usefulness for health promotion is growing. Women have higher rates of overall CAM use than men do, but little is known about gender differences in meditation practices, reasons for use, or perceived benefits.

Methods: Data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used.

Gender Differences in Use of Complementary and Integrative Health by U.S. Military Veterans with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

Aims: The Veterans Health Administration promotes evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies as nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain. We aimed to examine CIH use by gender among veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and variations in gender differences by race/ethnicity and age.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of electronic health records provided by all women (n = 79,537) and men (n = 389,269) veterans age 18 to 54 years with chronic musculoskeletal pain who received Veterans Health Administration-provided care between 2010 and 2013.

Use of Mind-Body Therapies Among Young Adults Aged 18-24 Years: Findings From the 2012 National Health Interview Survey.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence, patterns, and satisfaction of use of mind-body therapies (MBTs) in a nationally representative sample of young adults (ages 18-24 years).

Methods: Young adults interviewed in the 2012 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed (n = 3,286). Individual types (e.

Perceived Benefits of Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Race/Ethnicity Among Midlife and Older Adults in the United States.

To describe, for a national sample of midlife and older adults, the types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) used for health and wellness and the perceived benefits of CAM use by race/ethnicity. Using data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, we ran multiple logistic regression models to estimate the odds of each perceived benefit among adults ages 50 and older. More than 38% of midlife and older adults used CAM in the past year.

Physical Activity Correlates in Middle School Adolescents: Perceived Benefits and Barriers and Their Determinants.

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of benefits and barriers and their relationship with physical activity (PA) among predominantly Latino middle school students. Data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of 4,773 seventh-grade students recruited from a large, urban school district in Los Angeles. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to assess determinants of benefits and barriers as well as their association with self-reported PA.

Consumption of fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, artificially-sweetened beverages and allostatic load among young adults.

This study investigates the associations between recent consumption of fast foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and artificially-sweetened beverages on level of allostatic load, a measure of cumulative biological risk, in young adults in the US. Data from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the associations between consumption of fast foods, sugar-sweetened, and artificially-sweetened beverages and allostatic load.

Sexual Orientation Group Differences in Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms Among Young Adults in the United States.

Purpose: Overall, sexual minorities have poorer mental health than heterosexual individuals, and stress is thought to underlie such disparities. However, sexual minorities include both those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) and many who do not (e.g.